Business’s New Top Priority Is Innovation. HR’s Too.

Naomi is a reporter for TINYpulse, living and breathing everything employee engagement. She does this by always keeping her workstation fully stocked with dark chocolates.

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A recently completed leadership study by CIPD, an international professional body for HR and people development, reveals that for the first time, innovation has become the leading business priority. It found that 35% of HR and 32% of non-HR leaders are now viewing the pursuit of innovation as their companies’ primary strategy. But there’s twist.

There’s a schism between the way HR and non-HR leaders think innovation can be nurtured. 26% of non-HR leaders felt that their company was in need of a refreshed people strategy, while 72% of HR people felt current policies were sufficient.

What non-HR leaders want to see in particular is a greater emphasis on diversity as an innovation driver. 31% of them want HR to focus on diversity, but only 19% of HR leaders say they are.

It’s CIPD’s recommendation that HR staff find their own ways to innovate, and that they publicize those efforts within the company as an encouraging example. The survey found a stumbling block, however: HR’s frequent failure to use analytics and to share them with others in the company. 28% of non-HR leaders didn’t know if their HR department had any analytics tools in place, and the same percentage said HR doesn’t share its data with company stakeholders if it does have it. Yet, only 12% of HR leaders felt there was any issue with their data or the way it’s shared with others in the company. CIPD suggests HR would be well served by staying on top of the ever-expanding capabilities of HR analytics tools.

The good news is that non-HR leaders and HR leaders share a common desire to promote innovation, and as Dr. Jill Miller, a CIP research advisor says, “Our survey highlights clear areas of opportunity for better collaboration and communication between HR and other functions.”